Chapter 20 – The Mysterious Noble
Aenon lay on his bed, his head reeling with a plethora of raw emotions he was not used to – confusion, excitement, intrigue, to name a few. But the most dominant emotion was annoyance. He had not expected what Allie had done, and the conversation with the Overseer further exacerbated his emotional turmoil. He was not used to being unsure of anything, but this situation was alien to him. He tried to analyze it objectively but found himself unable to do so.
He stared at the black bracelet in his hands, boring his gaze into it as though expecting it to cough up some answers. The Overseer had pretty much thrust it on him when he refused Allie’s trinket. The bracelet could not be stored in his inventory for some reason, and he could not identify it either. The fact that it emitted mana wisps was alluring, especially after the throne room fight, where some magical restriction had removed all wisps. But it came with a lot of strings attached. But the bigger problem was that he couldn’t refuse it outright.
He sighed deeply as he put the bracelet aside. He closed his eyes as he recalled the kiss, his fingers involuntarily tracing his lips as he recalled the sensation. Catching himself before he went down the rabbit hole again, he sat up and made a beeline for the bathroom. He took a long shower to calm his emotions before collapsing on the couch in the living room. Thankfully, the redhead was gone, otherwise he would have been overwhelmed with more conflicting emotions.
To keep himself occupied he decided to take stock of his gear and inventory. He had received a pair of pants, a shirt, and a cloak which completed his set. He now had a full Abyssal leather armor set, which he wore while entering the village. He had refrained from putting on the mask and the cloak though, as they stood out significantly more than the other pieces.
Item Name: Abyssal Shirt
Item Type: Body Armor
Item Rarity: Epic
Item Description: Crafted using leather extracted from the predators of the abyss, this shirt absorbs light just as well as physical slashes and blows. Reduces damage from all spell aspects, except Light. Take double the damage from Light spells.
Note: This is a set piece.
Item Name: Abyssal Pants
Item Type: Leg Armor
Item Rarity: Epic
Item Description: Crafted using leather extracted from the predators of the abyss, this pant absorbs light just as well as physical slashes and blows. Reduces damage from all spell aspects, except Light. Take double the damage from Light spells.
Note: This is a set piece.
Aenon was already pleased with these two Epic rarity pieces and the Legendary mask. But what truly stole his breath away was the cloak. It had the highest tier, and the most eye-catching piece.
System Notification
Item Name: Veil of the Abyss
Item Type: Cloak
Item Rarity: Mythic
Item Description: None can truly pierce through to glimpse at that which the abyss conceals. Conceals all physical presence of the wearer, including smell and mana signature.
Active Abilities:
Kingdom of Darkness: Create absolute darkness in a 100 feet radius around the caster, dispelling all light and Light wisps. The effect lasts for 10 minutes if under a direct light source, and 30 minutes in low light conditions. No light spell can be used while inside the area of effect (AoE). (Cost: 3000 mana)
Note: This is a set piece.
The set effect was the cherry on top. It would make sneaking at night, and in the forest a breeze.
Abyssal Set Effect:
Allows the ability to enter shadows, leaving the plane of existence. Can remain in the shadow and appear anywhere the shadows are connected. User will be forced out if direct light is applied on the shadow. (Cost: 500 mana/sec)
The utility of the cloak in a combat situation was way better than even the mask, for both offense and defense. And the set would ensure that if all else failed, he would at least always have an opportunity to escape using the Kingdom of Darkness ability or the set effect.
The last item in his inventory that gave him pause was the vial. Try as he might, he couldn’t identify it. And after the fiasco with Allie, Aenon was reluctant to use anything the Overseer gave him. He placed the vial next to the bracelet on the ground and leaned back on the couch, deep in thought. He snapped out of it when he heard a knock at the door.
Using his soul sense, he detected a group of 5 people right outside his house. The person who had knocked seemed in charge since the other four were standing a few steps back with their backs to the door. Guessing who he was dealing with, Aenon quickly stored the vial, mask, and cloak in his inventory and hid the bracelet in his pocket.
“Hello captain,” he announced as he opened the door slowly. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
The guard captain from before was standing outside, with 4 well trained guards as his retinue. He looked mildly surprised, but quickly collected himself with a cough.
“The village head requests your presence at his mansion,” he announced in a formal tone.
“Is this a request or a command?” Aenon asked impassively.
The guard raised an eyebrow at that. He quickly looked back towards his escorts and noticing them diligently keeping watch, spoke in a low tone.
“My throat is a bit parched. Mind if I come in?”
Aenon regarded the strongly built man in shining plate mail armor for a moment, before nodding and opening his door wide. The captain marched in stoically after commanding his men to keep watch. He started looking around, frowning at what he saw. Aenon merely raised his eyebrow in question, not saying anything.
“Usually by now most Players would have decorated their dwelling, you know, to give it a personal touch,” he waved his arm around at the sparsely furnished room in explanation.
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Aenon looked around before shrugging his shoulders. The captain’s frown deepened. “Not much of a talker, are you?”
When Aenon didn’t reply, the captain sighed and went over to the kitchen to grab some water. Aenon produced some meat skewers and placed them on the kitchen counter before comfortably leaning against the wall opposite to the couch. The man studied the skewers with some suspicion before taking a bite.
“Mmmm, these are pretty good. Which stall did you buy these from? Haven’t seen anyone selling high level rabbit skewers in forever,” the captain stated while savoring the flavor.
“Hunted and cooked it myself,” Aenon stated simply.
“Really? High leveled horned rabbits are a nightmare to catch. And you say you did it while… Ahem. Never mind. I believe you. Anyway, what I wanted to say was, the village head has invited you to visit his place”, he said, stressing the word invited while air quoting using his fingers.
“Sure, let's go then,” Aenon said while standing up straight.
“What? Just like that?” the captain replied in surprise.
“What were you expecting?” Aenon asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Ummm, usually rich pricks love to throw their weight around. And do not like being commanded by those beneath them.”
“So, I am a prick?” Aenon asked while folding his hands and glaring at the captain.
Something seemed to have snapped in place in the captain’s mind because he choked and stumbled at his next words.
“No… no sir. That was not… I mean…”
The captain must have assumed Aenon came from a rich and influential background, and Aenon’s indirect hint at acceptance must have confirmed the suspicion. Aenon didn’t bother correcting him, as this would be beneficial in keeping his identity a secret. He silently glared as the older man bowed and apologized fiercely.
“What is your name, captain?” Aenon asked tersely.
“Captain Kobal, sir,” the now sweating man replied.
“Let’s not waste any more time and just get this over with.”
“Of course, sir. Please let me escort you to the mansion. Just to let you know, this is about the incident with the red-haired woman from before. What you did was very public, and I couldn’t have suppressed it even if I wanted to,” the captain spoke in a hurry.
Aenon nodded before asking, “What of the female guard?”
"She is doing fine, sir. Badly shaken, but fine. I owe you one for that. It would have put a strain on my pocket to pay for her resurrection. She is no longer a guard though. Had her stripped of her status. She is working in the barrack kitchen for now,” the captain said as they reached the door.
Aenon was about to ask why they had to pay for resurrection, but the man had opened the door. He barked a few orders as his men fell in formation around them, two in the lead, two in the back. The captain’s demeanor had changed the moment they exited the house.
“Captain Kobal, do we have time to stop by the Adventurer’s Guild? I have a quest to turn in and get my membership,” he asked politely but in a firm tone.
“No need for that, sir. The head of the guild is present at the meeting as well,” Captain Kobal replied.
Getting more confused by what was going on, Aenon stayed silent the rest of the journey. It took almost 40 minutes of walking before they reached the largest building Aenon had seen since coming to this world. It was all stone construction with a neatly maintained garden in front of it.
The escorting guards marched away as they were replaced with two better equipped guards. They had the same gear he had seen the soldiers accompanying the village head wear on his first day in Jadefall. The captain and Aenon were escorted inside the humble but well-maintained building. After a maze of twists and turns they arrived at a large room where two men were seated at luxurious looking couches. The village admin lady was standing to the side, next to the village head.
Aenon bowed respectfully to the two but stood in a casual stance. He had already seen the village head, which meant the other man must be the head of the Adventurer’s Guild. He was dressed in the most elaborate leather armor and equipment he had seen so far, complete with a kite shield strapped to his back, and a sword and rope strung on each hip. He also had numerous scars on his face, giving him an imposing look. The armor itself was a dark shade of red with the insignia of the Guild emblazoned on his shoulder and chest.
Both men regarded Aenon with stern looks, appraising him. He felt a mild shiver run down his spine as he detected mana fluctuations around him. He detected some kind of skill being used, and from the context he guessed it must be the Identify skill. So, he returned the gesture and cast his Identify on the two.
With a frown, Aenon turned towards the captain and cast Identify.
“You weren’t exaggerating, Kobal. This is a feisty one,” the guild head said with a smile. His nonchalant attitude must not have been what these men were expecting. “Go on boy, you have a question. Ask it.”
“Your levels. Why can I see the guard captain’s, but not yours?” he asked in confusion.
The three men shared shocked looks before the village head spoke up for the first time.
“You can see Kobal’s level?” he asked incredulously.
“Yes. He is 62,” Aenon nodded in confusion.
The three shared another look while the village head shifted uncomfortably. The guild head looked amused and had a hungry look on his face, while Kobal had a professional demeanor. The village admin had remained still as a statue till this point, but even she looked nervous now.
“That just means that your stats are comparable to the guard captains,” the village admin said in a professional tone.
“Please have a seat lad,” the guild head pointed at a free spot on the couch. Aenon nodded and took a seat.
“Ahem. Let me formally introduce myself. I am Village Head Vincent Malory. May I ask which noble house you hail from?”
Aenon maintained a neutral expression as he considered how to respond. These men had reached the same conclusion that Kobal had. But unlike Kobal, these men were in a position of much greater power. His earlier decision to maintain some mysteriousness might come in handy. He just wished he could have done the same with the Overseer. But he was an existence far beyond what Aenon could comprehend.
Aenon had no idea what kind of strings the Overseer was pulling in the background. He didn’t think the old elf had any harmful intentions, but he was being manipulative for sure. Aenon just needed to figure out to what end. If it was merely due to a grandfatherly love for Allie, Aenon could ignore it to a degree. But anything more than that, and he would have to be wary.
“I can neither confirm nor deny my association with a noble house,” Aenon decided to reply diplomatically. Using his soul sense Aenon felt Kobal twitch in the background, but he remained silent, nonetheless.
The two leaders exchanged a glance before coming to some mutual understanding that Aenon was not privy to. They both nodded at him respectfully, although the guild head still had that hungry look.
“In that case sir…,” Vincent started before Aenon cut him off.
“I prefer being called Aenon, not sir. Especially in public.”
“Of course, sir… I mean Aenon. Your identity and status will be kept in strict confidence. We will assign you a discrete point of contact in every major facility in the village, so you do not have to get bogged down by the administrative tasks,” Vincent continued.
“Although, if I may be so bold, would you be willing to join the Adventurer’s Guild?” the guild head asked with some trepidation.
“That was my intention before I got dragged here. I was about to turn in a quest,” Aenon said in a mildly annoyed tone. For this ruse to succeed, he had to play his part well.
The two men sat straighter on the couch, before the guild leader spoke in a flattering tone. The hungry look in his eyes was starting to die down.
“Our deepest apologies. We weren’t aware of your… unique situation. I will handle the quest turn in myself. Which quest would you be turning in?”
Even though it grated on his nerves, Aenon adopted the body language of the dead prince as he leaned back and sat comfortably. He picked up a cup the administrator had placed before him and pretended to take a sip.
“The goblin quest,” he stated offhandedly while making a grimacing face at the drink in his hand. He had never tasted wine before, and the brief contact with his lips left a very unpleasant taste. The others must have mistaken his displeasure for something else, because the admin lady started apologizing and started serving him other drinks, which he kept turning down.
“Of course. Did you happen to find the location of a camp? Or perhaps killed a few wandering goblins?” the guild head, who had still not introduced himself, asked.
“No. I cleared it,” Aenon said while trying his fifth drink. The village admin was getting exceedingly flustered by the minute at her inability to please him.
“You mean you cleared a goblin camp?” Vincent asked incredulously.
“Of course, not… cough… cough,” Aenon started choking up as he tried a particularly strong version of a drink he was presented.
“Just… cough… water should be fine,” he demanded to the lady who hurriedly filled a cup with water.
“I am sorry I don’t understand,” Vincent asked in confusion while waiting for Aenon to stop coughing.
“The dungeon… cough… I cleared the dungeon,” Aenon said as he desperately drank some water. As the burning sensation in his throat reduced, he leaned back in relief while closing his eyes.
It was only after a whole minute that he realized the room had gone extremely quiet. He opened his eyes and looked around. Four sets of eyes were staring at him in bewilderment. Not in a mood to explain anything, he simply tossed all the kill trophies onto the center table. He unceremoniously dumped hundreds of blood-soaked goblin ears, pushing their bewilderment past the critical threshold.
The village admin shrieked as she jumped back, the village head gawked in disbelief, the guild leader looked like he was having a brain aneurism, while Kobal tried and failed at words. When no one spoke for a while, Aenon asked with a mild smirk.
“So, do I qualify to join the guild?”